Why let Collins play when Quinn could distribute his playing time to younger corners who will actually be available for the first 10 games of the regular season?

The most likely scenario is Quinn and general manager Thomas Dimitroff are planning to showcase Collins for potential trades.

Collins was already a decent candidate to be traded even before his suspension, thanks to Atlanta’s depth at cornerback. He played well last season down the stretch and was rated higher in pass coverage than any other Falcons corner in 2016 by Pro Football Focus. The return of Desmond Trufant bumped him down the depth chart, though.

Several teams around the NFL could use another solid starting-quality cornerback, even if he’s going to miss more than half of the season. Collins could move quickly if he plays well against the Miami Dolphins on Thursday night and the right opportunity presents itself.